Chaffer for threshing-machines.



No. 755,441. PATENTED MAR. 22, 1904.

' W. E. BRADLEY. OHAFFBR FOR THR'ESHING MACHINES.

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W.,E. BRADLEY. GHAFFE-RYIE'OR THRESHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22. 1902.

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No. 755,441. PATAENTBD MAR. 22, 1904.

. W. E. BRADLEY. CHAFFER FOR THRESHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22, 1902.

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UNITED STATES Patented March 22, 1904.

PATENT EEioE.

WILLIAM E. BRADLEY, OF BATTLECREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNCR TO NICHOLS ANDSHEPARD COMPANY, OF BATTLECREEK, MICHIGAN.

CHAFFE R FOR THRESHlNG-IVIACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,441, dated March22, 1904.

Application filed November 22, 1902. Serial No. 132,384. (No model.)

T0 on whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. BRADLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Battlecreek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan,have invented a certain new and useful Chaffer for Threshing-Machines,of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates tothreshing -machines, and particularly tochaffers used in connection with and forming a part of the grainpan.

In the ordinary construction of grain-pans and chaffers a series ofslats are employed, the same being set at an. inclination and inparallel relation with each other. The threshed material after fallinginto the grain-pan passes along the grain-pan and over the chaffer, thegrain and fine chaff falling through the chaffer and through the slatsthereof while being subjected to a blast of air, a small portion ofwhich passes upward through and between the slats, and thereby assistsin separating and cleaning the grain.

In practice it is found that the kinds and conditions of grain vary tosuch an extent that the chaifer is often too close and frequently tooopen to accomplish the best results. The present invention is designedto overcome this difficulty, and with that object in view the inventioncontemplates the use of pivoted and adjustable slats in connection withmeans for simultaneously swinging and adjusting the slats so as toimpart a greater or less inclination thereto and as a result affordgreater or less space between the slats, the adjustment being capable ofbeing effected while the machine is in operation. In this way theoperator can regulate the amount of material that may pass over thechafler and between the slats thereof in accordance with the particularcondition of the threshed material. If the threshed material is weedyand coarse, the operator may adjust the chafier so as to give enoughopening between the slats to admit of the passage of the grain withoutthe rest of the material, the adjustment of the slats also serving toregulate the air-blast and permit the proper amount thereof to act uponthe threshed material as it moves in contact of the chaifer, showing themeans for adjust- 7 ing the slats. Fig. A is a vertical longitudinalsection, on an enlarged scale, showing the mechanism for adjusting theslats, said view also showing a portion of the vibrating shoe locatedbeneath the chaffer. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section through aportion of a threshing-machine, showing the chaifer, grain-pan, and therelation of the shoe and fan thereto.

Like reference-numerals designate corresponding parts in all figures ofthe drawings.

The chaifer is preferably composed of side bars 1, provided withupstanding flanges 2 along the outer edges thereof, front and rearcross-bars 3 and 4, respectively, and intermediate divisionpiece 5,extending longitudinally of the machine, the parts thus far describedbeing rigidly and firmly connected to constitute the frame of thechafler. If desired, the side bars 1 may be in one piece with the sidesof the grain-pan. In addition to the parts above enumerated the chafferalso comprises deflectors 6, arranged at opposite sides, as shown inFig. 1, to direct the threshed material toward the center and upon theslats of the chaifer.

The chafi' er comprises, essentially, a series or several series ofslats 7, it being preferred to arrange a series of slats between each ofthe division-pieces 5 and between said division-pieces and sidebars 1 ofthe chatter-frame, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, the slats as awhole beingthus supported at several points intermediate their length to preventswaying or bending of the slats under the weight of the superimposed.

material. In other Words, each complete slat 7 may be said to becomposed of several sections corresponding in number to the number ofspaces between the division-pieces and the side bars 1 of the frame. Allof the sections of each slat are mounted on a single shaft 8. The shaft8 is preferably square or polygonal in cross-section and is providedwith rounded journal portions which are received in bearings 9, formedin the division-pieces 5 and partly in a corresponding set of cap-piecesor strips 10, secured in place by screws or other fasteners 11, as shownin the drawings. The slats 7 are preferably formed of metal, and inorder that they may swing with the shafts 8 each slat-section has itsupper edge bent to form a square or polygonal sleeve 12, which slipsover and fits snugly around the shaft 8, conforming in cross-sectionthereto. Thus each slat is pivotally mounted approximately in line withits upper edge, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

At a suitable point intermediate its ends each shaft 8 is provided witha crank or lever arm 13, which by preference extends downward and passesthrough an opening 14 in a slide, which is shown in the form of a plate15, loosely supported in close relation to the lower side of one of thedivision-pieces 5, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4c. The slide 15 is supportedby means of headed screws or similar devices 16, connected with thedivision-piece 5 and passing through slots 17, formed in the slide.While the slide is thus upheld against the bottom of the division-piece5 it is permitted to move lengthwise for the purpose of Vibrating thelever-arms 13 of the several slats and correspondingly swinging theslats themselves, as indicated by the full and dotted line positions inFig. 1.

In order to adjust and hold the slide 15, I employ a screw 18, which isjournaled in a bearing-bracket 19, secured bypreference to the rear endof the chaffer-frame, where it is readily accessible, said screw beingequipped with a hand-wheel or similar hand device 20, by means of whichthe screw may be turned. A lug or ear 21 is connected fixedly with theslide 15 and is screw-threaded to receive and engage the screw 18. Thusby operating the hand-wheel 20 and revolving the screw 18 the slide 15is moved lengthwise of the frame, thereby operating to vibrate the crankor lever arms 13 and to swing the slats 7, all of the slats beingoperated simultaneously by the mechanism disclosed.

22 designates the teeth or slats of the grainpan adjacent to the forwardportion of the chaffer, and 23 represents the vibrating shoe, which inthe ordinary construction of threshing-machines is arranged beneath thechafler to receive the grain therefrom.

The chafier hereinabove described is, in effect, an extension of thegrain-pan, its position being just above the vibrating shoe'whichcontains the riddles. Grain, chaff, and other short straws fall into thegrain-pan in the process of threshing and are carried by the oscillationof the grain-pan to the rear and discharged over the end of thegrain-pan, except that the threshed grain and more or less of the grainand short straws are permitted to fall through the chaffer upon theriddles in the shoe beneath, at which point a blast of air from the fanblows out the impurities and permits the clean grain to fallthrough theriddles into the shoe, and thus in the grain-auger, as will be readilyunderstood by those familiar with the art to which this inventionappertains.

Practice has demonstrated the desirability of having the adjustableslats pivotally mounted approximately in line with their upper edges inorder that the top or upper side of the chalfer may preserve aperfectline with the fixed slatwork 241 at the initial end of thechaffer and with the bottom of the grain-pan. If the slats were pivotedin the center or at any other point, the upper edges under differentadjustments would either project above or fall below the line of thefixed slats or the bottom of the grain-pan, which would interferewiththe free passage of the material on its way through the machine. Bypivoting the slats adjacent to their upper edges said slats may be setat such an angle as to induce or deflect a certain portion of the blastfrom the fan through or between the slats for the purpose of looseningup the material thereof and assisting in its passage along the chafi'erand its discharge from the rear thereof.

It will be observed that there is a specific relation between thearrangement of the imperforate surface of the grain-pan and thechafing-screen, so as to present a continuous carrying or conductingsurface in a substantially single plane, and the location of the axis ofadjustment at the upper edges of the slats enables such adjustment to beefiected substantially without disturbing the continuity of the surface.

Having thus described the invention, whatI claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

A grain-pan for threshing-machines comprising an imperforate surfaceadapted to conduct the material, and a screen constituting a rearwardextension of the pan-surface in substantially the plane thereof andcomprising a series of slats having their axes practically in line withtheir upper edges, and means for simultaneously adjusting the angle ofsaid slats without substantially altering the plane of the surface ofthe screen.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM E. BRADLEY.

Witnesses:

CHESTER P. ALDRICH, F. J. VVALBRIDGE.

